Be sure to read the part about a fight between Yamaha teammates in this Cycle News article...
Practice and qualifying have concluded for tomorrow's ninth round of the AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship Series at Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota, and the number-one topic on the day was the weather - more specifically, the heat. It's downright hot here in southern Minnesota and there doesn't appear to be any relief in sight for tomorrow's race. Temperatures were well into the 90's today but the humidity made it feel a lot hotter, so we'll certainly see who has been maintaining their training regiment during the just-concluded two-week break in the series.
Another big topic on the day was the track, which features a number of changes this year, most notably the already brutal whoop section. Its length has been nearly doubled and is now said to have up to 57 to 60 whoops from the usual 29. The added section has been met with mixed reviews by the riders, most of them not exactly happy. "I would've liked to see them spend the time widening the track rather than adding more whoops," Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin said. "But I guess it's good for the fans."
"It's going to wear people out," Ryan Hughes said. "I'm just going to ride smart and save as much energy as I can. That's going to be the key tomorrow - who's going to have the most energy at the end."
"I just wish they would decide whether or not this is Supercross or motocross," Team Yamaha's Keith McCarty said. "When you have a section like that, you have to dial in the bikes more for Supercross, but you have the rest of the track a National motocross."
Besides the whoops, 200 truckloads of sand has been added to the track's soil, and there's a new downhill section and a new triple uphill section, that everyone (even James Stewart) is doubling in and singling out.
The facility also has a new 11-foot tunnel under the track for improved access and 2500 feet of chain link fence has been added. Also, many sections of the new track are numbered with large signs.
Probably the biggest news coming out of practice involves Team SoBe Suzuki's Branden Jesseman who is coming off a thumb injury. Jesseman crashed during his second practice session and broke his right arm just above the wrist. Jesseman was changing lines heading into a turn when he swapped out and did a slow endo. His season has come to a premature end.
Robbie Reynard returned to action today. Reynard broke his wrist earlier in the year High Point when he crashed into an ATV that was crossing the track during practice. Surprisingly, Reynard is riding a KX125.
"I've been riding close to a month now, but the wrist is too sore to ride a 250," Reynard said.
Mike Brown is back on the track after injuring his shoulder at the last race at Washougal. Brown says the shoulder is only about "90 percent," but says he feels pretty good nonetheless. He added that he's not experiencing much pain but the shoulder feels a little week. He'll be riding with a shoulder brace.
Chad Reed has decided to ride the YZ450F four-stroke at Millville. "This [outdoor] season hasn't really gone the way I wanted, so I wanted to try something else," Reed said. "I like the bike, mainly the way it handles."
Reed, in fact, looked very fast and comfortable on the bike, though he crashed on the first lap of the first practice session and had to sit out the rest of that session. After getting his bent bike fixed, he looked good in the second practice session.
Perhaps the biggest mystery of the weekend so far involves Reed and his teammate Vuillemin, who showed up at Spring Creek with an obvious black right eye. When asked about the shiner, Vuillemin (pictured here with his baby daughter's picture on the back of his jersey) cracked a smile and said that he'd rather not divulge any information. He did say it wasn't race related. Rumors circulating around the pits, however, have that he and Reed exchanged punches at a social gathering during the week.
As far as the usual names, Ricky Carmichael, Kevin Windham and James Stewart look like their usual selves on the track, and even Mike LaRocco looked particularly fast in the whoops, which will no doubt play a big role in tomorrow's outcome.
Practice and qualifying have concluded for tomorrow's ninth round of the AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship Series at Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota, and the number-one topic on the day was the weather - more specifically, the heat. It's downright hot here in southern Minnesota and there doesn't appear to be any relief in sight for tomorrow's race. Temperatures were well into the 90's today but the humidity made it feel a lot hotter, so we'll certainly see who has been maintaining their training regiment during the just-concluded two-week break in the series.
Another big topic on the day was the track, which features a number of changes this year, most notably the already brutal whoop section. Its length has been nearly doubled and is now said to have up to 57 to 60 whoops from the usual 29. The added section has been met with mixed reviews by the riders, most of them not exactly happy. "I would've liked to see them spend the time widening the track rather than adding more whoops," Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin said. "But I guess it's good for the fans."
"It's going to wear people out," Ryan Hughes said. "I'm just going to ride smart and save as much energy as I can. That's going to be the key tomorrow - who's going to have the most energy at the end."
"I just wish they would decide whether or not this is Supercross or motocross," Team Yamaha's Keith McCarty said. "When you have a section like that, you have to dial in the bikes more for Supercross, but you have the rest of the track a National motocross."
Besides the whoops, 200 truckloads of sand has been added to the track's soil, and there's a new downhill section and a new triple uphill section, that everyone (even James Stewart) is doubling in and singling out.
The facility also has a new 11-foot tunnel under the track for improved access and 2500 feet of chain link fence has been added. Also, many sections of the new track are numbered with large signs.
Probably the biggest news coming out of practice involves Team SoBe Suzuki's Branden Jesseman who is coming off a thumb injury. Jesseman crashed during his second practice session and broke his right arm just above the wrist. Jesseman was changing lines heading into a turn when he swapped out and did a slow endo. His season has come to a premature end.
Robbie Reynard returned to action today. Reynard broke his wrist earlier in the year High Point when he crashed into an ATV that was crossing the track during practice. Surprisingly, Reynard is riding a KX125.
"I've been riding close to a month now, but the wrist is too sore to ride a 250," Reynard said.
Mike Brown is back on the track after injuring his shoulder at the last race at Washougal. Brown says the shoulder is only about "90 percent," but says he feels pretty good nonetheless. He added that he's not experiencing much pain but the shoulder feels a little week. He'll be riding with a shoulder brace.
Chad Reed has decided to ride the YZ450F four-stroke at Millville. "This [outdoor] season hasn't really gone the way I wanted, so I wanted to try something else," Reed said. "I like the bike, mainly the way it handles."
Reed, in fact, looked very fast and comfortable on the bike, though he crashed on the first lap of the first practice session and had to sit out the rest of that session. After getting his bent bike fixed, he looked good in the second practice session.
Perhaps the biggest mystery of the weekend so far involves Reed and his teammate Vuillemin, who showed up at Spring Creek with an obvious black right eye. When asked about the shiner, Vuillemin (pictured here with his baby daughter's picture on the back of his jersey) cracked a smile and said that he'd rather not divulge any information. He did say it wasn't race related. Rumors circulating around the pits, however, have that he and Reed exchanged punches at a social gathering during the week.
As far as the usual names, Ricky Carmichael, Kevin Windham and James Stewart look like their usual selves on the track, and even Mike LaRocco looked particularly fast in the whoops, which will no doubt play a big role in tomorrow's outcome.
